A fellow foodie advised me that C Seafood and Oyster Bar (formerly known as C Dine Bar) on the Kingston Foreshore were doing a 1/2kg of mussels for $15 or 1kg for $25. Since the Little Brussels Belgian Beer Cafe closed in Kingston, I’ve been trying to find another place that sold 1kg of mussels. One Sunday afternoon, J and I decided to walk down to check it out. The mussel offer is valid from 12pm until late on Sundays only.
There are three flavours to choose from:
- Singapore chilli
- White wine, cream and fresh herbs
- Dark ale fondue
We asked the waitress what her picks of flavours were and she told us that the Singapore chilli and dark ale fondue were flying out the door. J likes his spicy food and was eager to try the Singapore chilli. I wasn’t keen on trying the dark ale fondue since beer doesn’t do it for me but in the end I decided to try something different and ordered it. It took about half an hour for our mussels to arrive. All mussels were served with hot parsley salted chips and black garlic aioli.
I’m so very glad I picked the dark ale fondue. The sauce was cheesy, creamy and just yum from that first bite. The mussel lets out its natural juices as well as the cheesy fondue that it’s been cooked in. No hint of ale which had been cooked out and was great for me. The mussels were small to medium sized and these were easy to pull out of the shell if they hadn’t already fallen to the bottom of the pot. I noticed that the more I got stuck into it, the saltier the fondue sauce became. We mentioned this to one of the staff who said he would look into it as they don’t add any extra salt. Unfortunately, the chips were a let down. They looked fantastic but were not crunchy at all. I’m not a fan of limp soggy chips and some pieces also tasted slightly under-cooked. They just needed to be fried a few seconds longer! The black garlic aioli on the other hand was fabulous and I found myself slathering this all over the chip rather than my usual light dip into the bowl.
J was happy with the Singapore chilli which would have been too spicy for me to finish off. One mussel was enough to get a nice kick of chilli.
I’m so glad we ordered 1kg of mussels each as we smashed through both pots. I honestly could have eaten 2kg. Comparing the price to half price Tuesdays at the now closed Belgian Beer Cafe, it is much more expensive but won’t break the bank. Service was friendly and I love that every diner gets a nice ‘goodbye/thanks for coming’ from kitchen staff upon leaving.
C Seafood and Oyster Bar is located at 17/19 East Lake Parade at the Kingston Foreshore. Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Mussels are usually $36 for 1kg, but the cheaper price is available Sunday only.
Foodgasm 8/10
Value for money 7.5/10
Service 8/10
FPJ score 23.5/30
If you want more random photos and updates about food, I’m on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Facebook: /foodpornjournal
Twitter: @foodpornjournal
Instagram: /foodpornjournal